Cousin couples' birth defect risk

Cousin couples' birth defect risk

New research confirms that the two main factors associated with an increased risk of babies suffering a birth defect include being born to an older mother or to parents who are blood relations.

The UK study, published this week in The Lancet, is the largest of it kind, drawing on data collected from almost 14,000 babies born between 2007 and 2011 and their families

Researchers found that children born to parents who are first cousins are more than twice as likely to suffer from birth defects. This is comparable to the risk faced by children born to mothers over age 35, the study shows.

Other studies in the last 20 years have considered consanguinity as a cause of birth defects, but these studies weren't able to rule out other potential risk factors, particularly the effects of deprivation.

While banned in parts of Asia and many US states, marriage of first cousins is legal in New Zealand.

The Science Media Centre contacted New Zealand experts for comment on the new study.

Associate Professor Andrew Shelling, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , University of Auckland, comments:

"For some ethnicities, cousin marriage is relatively common, and we have seen increasing numbers of these communities living in New Zealand who will have a long standing tradition of consanguinity. While these increased risks should be clearly communicated to all couples, just as we discuss other potential medical issues for parents, this will need to be done carefully and with cultural sensitively."

You can read more about the study, and further expert commentary, on the SMC website.

ENDS

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